Manuel situation/Today’s Journal News & LoHud.com

Today you can read all about Omar’s new long-term deal, that Carlos Delgado will at least have his option picked up, that Jeff Wilpon suspects there’s a winning intangible missing from this group and that the discussions with Jerry Manuel are continuing.

There’s also a to-do list for Minaya and top 5 lists of his best and worst moves. I put Pedro on both lists. Any one best or worst immediately come to your mind? I put Santana No. 1 best and Castillo No. 1 worst.

The Mets made just an initial two-year offer to Manuel, which, even if I had a late-September smudge on my resume, I wouldn’t be thrilled with if I were him. I’d want three, especially going 55-38 after taking over for Willie Randolph. Both sides have professed a desire for the marriage to continue, so we’ll see if they can quickly find a compromise.

Bobby V told 1050 he’s interested in the job. Don’t you think that ship has sailed? Move forward, not back. Newsday threw some possible names out there as an alternative list in case the Manuel talks reached an impasse—V, Rudy Jaramillo, Larry Bowa and Manny Acta. Jaramillo is proven as a hitting coach, not a manager. Bowa’s hard-driving style got old in Philly. And we suspect Acta would be pretty good with a good team, but he still has a deal with the Nats.

Manuel would seem to be the right guy at this time, especially since he already commands the respect of the players, has proven to be a good communicator, did his best to try to win with what he had and can handle the media part. Want him back?

Brian Heyman is a highly decorated sports journalist, having won more than 30 awards in his career. He returned to The Journal News in January 1994 following two stints with this Gannett newspaper's forerunners in the '80s. His first stint began when he joined The Reporter Dispatch on a free-lance/part-time basis in March 1983. Born in Sleepy Hollow, Heyman grew up in Ossining and graduated from Ossining High. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ithaca College with a degree in communications. He now lives in Manhattan with his wife, Karen.

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4 Comments

GW Plunkett

Today you can read all about…

Really, where? Can’t imagine why you wouldn’t insert a link to the columns you are referencing as Pete does in his Yankees blog. I’m sure it’s somewhere but I couldn’t find it quickly and gave up. Thus my “best Omar move” did not benefit from reading your list. Right after MInaya took over he announced that the experiment with Reyes at second and Matsui at ss was over. That was a turning point and it didn’t cost money or talent.

Manuel was 17 games over .500 in a little more than half a season. Hard to argue with that record.

If Bobby V. wants to come back. I would be glad to have him back. Jerry did a nice job, but with the same result. Maybe Wilpon and Omar are thinking its time to get a new manager and coaching staff to erase the stink of the last two years. There will not be any major personnel changes, imo

Brian you have a short memory, rarely are FA moves the worst moves a GM can make. Yes money wise the Castillo deal is already an albatross. But the worst deal Omar made was giving up Heath Bell for nothing. Already Heath Bell is an elite closer/set up man, and Omar gave him away for nothing.

Not firing Willie before this season is another poor move, as is giving Willie an extension.